Veneer
by D-chan
Summary: Yamagi x Roose :: shounen ai, mild language, mild spoilers for the manga :: A moment between waking and morning, as two boys talk about the importance, or lack thereof, of the new year.


**:: Veneer ::**

_Megami Kouhosei_

Disclaimer: I don't own Megami Kouhosei, which rightfully belongs to Yukiru Sugisaki.

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Yamagi/Roose, mentioned Wrecka/Roose

Warnings: possible OOCness, shounen ai (boy/boy), mention of adult situations, somewhat heavy kissing, mild language, mild spoilers for the manga

Notes: Whoa. It's been _forever_ since a started and completed a fic for this fandom. But I still love it, and I adore my champion 'shipping as much as ever. And my writing style has changed like _whoa_.

Happy New Year. Here's some cuteness to celebrate. Feel free to criticize, because it's been a while since I've worked with these characters, and I half fear remnants of the current fandom I'm in have slipped into their characters. Gah.

Constructive criticism and feedback is appreciated.

--------

He woke before the alarm went off. Why, he didn't know, but a bleary look told him he could still work in another hour or so of sleep before the entire ship would have to jump into their daily activities.

Roose Sawamura yawned, muffling the sound into the pillow so as not to wake his slumbering roommate. This was not a good time to set the other teen off. He had just been released from the infirmary after taking a brutal beating by another classmate. Unfortunately, Roose still had the bump on his skull from where his roommate had hit him. That cast had _hurt_.

He wanted to go back to sleep, but somehow felt his eyes drawn to the digital clock on the opposite wall of the room. Because of the G.O.A.'s technology, and for the convenience of their students and faculty, not only did the device tell time, it also showed the room temperature (usually the same) and date (always different). As it was early in the morning, the date flashed differently than it had the night before. Roose tilted his head curiously. Often he didn't check to see what day, month, or year it was, partially because he was usually too busy checking the time to make sure he would not be late to class, or his rendezvous with Wrecka, or breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This time he noticed, and now his curiosity had been both piqued and satisfied.

He slid out of bed without pushing the covers aside. His thin, lanky legs caught in the material, forcing him to abandon whatever caution he had been practicing. With a soft startled cry, he tripped and smacked his nose on the side of his roommate's bed.

Naturally, the sound woke his sleeping partner. Roose dimly heard the sudden rustle of sheets as his roommate was startled awake, then a soft curse as he was suddenly noticed.

"Roose, what th' _hell_ are you doin'?" demanded his sleep-fogged partner.

His eyes pricking with tears -- something he was probably going to either be smacked or get a Look for -- as he looked up at his roommate. His nose throbbed, and he used both hands to clasp it, as though doing so would lessen the pain. "Sorry, Yamagi-kun..."

Indeed, the teen gave him an exasperated Look, the Look Roose was so familiar with, the Look that told him Yamagi was annoyed, but not overly so, just enough to muster that Look so he could display irritation he probably didn't even completely feel. Or he _did_ feel it, but it was covering up another emotion he wasn't about to display.

"I'm just wondering how you hit your face on my _bed_," the violet-eyed teen grumbled. He ran a hand through his hair. The locks had been cut shorter since they had both first arrived on the G.O.A. In a style that, from what Roose understood on unspoken terms, was a vague mimicry of _Yamagi's_ idol. Or rather, role model, because Yamagi would sooner take on Hiead Gner a second time before admitting Zero Enna was his idol. Even the term "role model" was stretching it.

Roose pouted, removing one hand from his nose to push himself up. "I tripped..."

Yamagi shot him another Look. "Obviously." Then he glanced at the clock as Roose had earlier, and scowled. "It's barely _four_ in the morning, Roose," he hissed. "It's not like we get a lotta sleep, you know?"

His voice was beginning to sound less gritty the longer he stayed awake. And yes, Roose knew, but he had something to ask. And he wouldn't have had the time once their day had started, and by the time he _would_ have been able to ask, it would either be really late and they would both be exhausted, or he would have forgotten entirely.

He pulled his hand back before prodding his tender nose. He winced when noticing a dark substance on his hand that definitely hadn't been there before. "I know..."

Yamagi seemed to notice as well. He uttered another curse, and then kicked his sheets off-- something Roose realized too late he should have done. "C'mon. You're bleeding, you idiot."

"Sorry," Roose whined. Yamagi hated whining.

His shorter companion shot him a disgusted look. "I know you are," he said impatiently. The adjoining bathroom was barely three feet from the two beds. The door slid open automatically, with a swish and click that sounded too loud, though in reality it was near mute.

Inside the bathroom was tiny, with just enough room to fit the necessary materials and for someone to get in and out. With two of them in there, it was cramped.

"Sit," Yamagi ordered in his gruff tone.

Roose obediently sat on the seat of the toilet. "Sorry, Yamagi-kun," he repeated forlornly. He had just wanted to ask something, and now his best friend was mad at him. The day was already starting badly, and the wake-up call had yet to sound.

The shorter teen paused momentarily, his hand hovering over the sink for a split second. Then his hesitation vanished, and he grabbed a washcloth. Holding it under the sink, water soon spewed forth from the fountain as the presence of his hand was sensed. Once the cloth was damp, Yamagi stepped over and swiped it over Roose's face.

The boy yelped. "Yamagi-kun, it's _cold_!"

"It's too early for warm water," was his partner's terse response. "You're lucky the blood's stopped flowing so badly, anyway," he continued, grasping Roose's wrist. His thumb pressed into the number imprint: 86. Again the towel was used to wipe off the blood in one quick motion.

Dropping the damp towel on the sink, Yamagi grabbed a dry one, handing it to his roommate. "Keep it against your face until the bleeding stops," he said. Once that was done, he turned and left.

Dejected, Roose did as he was told. Truth be told, he was somewhat surprised Yamagi had accompanied him this far; after all, it was just a bloody nose. It wasn't as though he'd broken anything.

But then, Yamagi also tended to lapse into seemingly meaningless acts of kindness. At least, around Roose he did. The thought relaxed the boy, and made him feel less upset.

Once he was sure he wasn't in danger of bleeding again, Roose set the washcloth down and left. The bathroom door clicked shut behind him, and a split second before it did, the lights went out. Automated, like everything else on the ship.

Rather than return to his own bed, Roose padded over to his roommate's. The teen was lying on his side, his back turned to his companion. Roose couldn't tell if he was awake or not. "Yamagi-kun?" he whispered, hoping the case was otherwise.

A rude noise escaped Yamagi's throat as he rolled over. The Look was becoming more venomous. "_What_, Roose?"

Roose tentatively started to crawl into bed beside his partner. "I wanted to ask a--"

"_Ow_! Watch my arm," Yamagi snarled, though he made no move to shove the boy out. He even shifted slightly to make room.

"Sorry," Roose whined again. After some more bumping and swearing (the swearing on Yamagi's part) they finally managed to find as comfortable a position as possible on the bed. "I had a question."

"About what?" Yamagi seemed more uncomfortable than usual-- this wasn't the first time Roose had crawled into his bed, though they never did anything like he and Wrecka would do in secret. But this discomfort was physical, the boy knew, because Yamagi's arm was still sensitive after being in a cast for so long. And, admittedly, it was also because he had decided to use the offending object to thump Roose on the head. _While_ he was still wearing it. And it had hurt.

"Today's a new year," Roose said.

Yamagi shot him a look. This one wasn't a Look, because genuine curiosity tempered the annoyance. "So?"

"I heard some people celebrated the new year when it comes," Roose replied softly. His nose was distracting him, throbbing dully in pain, but he continued speaking anyway. "At least, they used to, a long time ago."

"A long time ago," his shorter partner agreed. His eyes slid shut, and without the narrow irises to watch, Roose's attention diverted a little. Strangely, to Yamagi's nose. Probably because, like the rest of his roommate, it was so small. It was _cute_, though even Roose had the sense not to say so aloud. But he liked Yamagi's nose. Sometimes he wanted to kiss it, just because.

"People used to think a new year was a big deal," Yamagi continued, seeming unaware of Roose's thoughts. "Some places thought it was a big deal between bad luck and good luck. Some just thought it was a reason to celebrate because, hell, it was a whole new _year_." An obvious note of sarcasm was beginning to color his voice. "One whole number changed on the calendar."

Roose smiled faintly, a little sadly. "You don't like the new year, Yamagi-kun?"

The teen lifted one shoulder on a shrug. He raised his unhurt arm, tucking his hand beneath his head. The movement pulled his nightshirt up, and Roose could suddenly feel a small expanse of warm skin against his forearm. He liked that. He liked that Yamagi was so warm.

"Don't like it, don't hate it, don't care," the teen said. He finally opened his eyes, and Roose froze. He had been slipping his hand down, trying to be discreet, to touch the exposed flesh. A frown touched Yamagi's lips, but Roose couldn't tell if it was displeased or thoughtful, or if it was even aimed at him at all. "What's the big deal?"

Roose didn't answer right away. Instead he vainly fought against the nervous tremors shaking his body, and rested his hand against his friend's side. Yamagi tensed, just briefly, and Roose could feel the youthful muscles respond accordingly. Then he relaxed, and so did Roose. The touch was allowed.

"Not a big deal," the boy finally said quietly. He slid his hand slightly over Yamagi's stomach, feeling the smooth plane open to him. The heel of his hand brushed against the crevice of his belly button, and Yamagi twitched slightly, but still didn't stop him. "I was just... wondering."

Yamagi eyed him critically; skeptical and disbelieving. Roose felt a blush heat his cheeks.

"So 'just wondering' was a reason for you to nearly break your face open on _my_ bed?"

"I said I was sorry!"

Yamagi made an exasperated sound that was between a snort and a groan. "You're helpless."

Helpless, at least, was different from hopeless. Softly, Roose asked, "Do you have bad memories of new years, Yamagi-kun?"

That visibly took his partner again. Yamagi started to sit up, seemed to think better of it, then lay down again. "Not particularly. Why?"

Roose sighed, resting his cheek on the teen's shoulder. The bones were prominent through the material, digging into his skin, but he didn't mind. Yamagi was warm. His neck, especially, seemed to radiate a faint heat. Roose wanted to bury his face into the crook there, because he felt that if he did, he would be safe and protected.

"Just a thought," he mumbled. "You said a while ago your colony was..." His voice trailed off.

Yamagi shifted. His shoulder moved beneath Roose's cheek, and he realized his partner was pulling his hand away, no longer using it as a makeshift pillow. Roose half hoped Yamagi was going to pet his hair, because he liked it when he did that, even if it had only happened once, and he felt like a loved kitten when Yamagi did that, but all he got was a light smack on the head. Not reprimanding. Almost playful.

"It has nothing to do with that," the boy said gruffly.

Roose smiled. He pushed himself up a little, just so his face was hovering near his roommate's. Dark eyes glittered at him, unreadable yet more open than usual. "I'm glad, then," he said. And he meant it.

Yamagi tilted his head slightly, and only a moment later did Roose find out why. To accommodate his friend's mouth, as the hand that had hit him just moments ago pressed down on Roose's head, just the bare inches they needed to form a kiss. Roose liked this. Not as much as he would have liked cuddling against Yamagi, or feeling Yamagi's pulse beat against his lips, but he still liked it. The contact was still warmth, and strangely gentle for the older teen's supposed nature.

Then Yamagi was pushing, silently demanding for Roose to fall back on his side. Not one to start a fight, the boy complied, and soon the position was a little more comfortable; Yamagi's smaller body half atop his, his torso barely touching Roose. And Roose's hand was trapped between them, still pressed against his friend's stomach. He tentatively slid his hand upward, until he could feel the violet-eyed teen's heart beating strongly, rhythmically against his chest. His skin was delightfully warm here, almost hot, and the closer contact made Roose melt.

Though he had more experience, especially since Wrecka had been his first with... well, everything, Roose was content to let Yamagi take over. It was the older teen who decided when to break the kiss, to brush his lips gently over Roose's before the touch became intimate again. His tongue was hot, and Roose made a small whimper in the back of his throat.

And then, because he was _not_ Wrecka, Yamagi pulled back. His face was flushed, his hair even more tousled and his clothes too rumpled for anyone who had just been asleep. His expression had grown more readable during the kiss, and now there was an almost loving look in the smaller boy's eyes.

Almost.

Yamagi heaved a sigh, then flopped over again. He muttered yet another foul word, probably because he'd somehow hurt his arm again.

Roose glanced over at the clock. Nearly time for the ship to wake and jump into their usual activities; only ten minutes away.

In a mildly cross tone, Yamagi said, "Don't you ever wake me up like that again."

It was a subtle threat, and both knew it most likely wouldn't be the _last_ time Roose woke him up in this fashion-- either by falling on his face or by physical contact.

"Sorry, Yamagi-kun."

With that, the lights suddenly snapped on. The wake-up tone blared in several short, annoying bleeps, and then died. It would go off again in ten seconds precisely. Yamagi seemed to remember that, because he spoke the instant it went off.

"You apologize too much."

Roose smiled, and the alarm went off again. For the rest of the G.O.A., the new year had officially begun.


End file.
